Gifford Beal sketches, sketchbooks and papers, 1889-2001, bulk 1900-1954

This series contains 78 sketchbooks with pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink, and wash sketches, drawings, and studies.

Subjects are similar to those found in Beal's paintings, with many life drawings, casual sitters (probably family members), circus scenes, marine subjects, genre scenes, cityscapes, landscapes, and buildings. Two sketchbooks contain significant writings: one appears to be a lecture about art education, possibly written around 1925, and the other contains diary entries dated 1942. Scattered annotations regarding color are found throughout the sketchbooks. A sketchbook belonging to Gifford Beal, Jr., contains a couple of sketches by Gifford Beal, Sr. as well.

Where possible, sketchbooks are arranged chronologically, but the majority of dates were estimated during processing, and many remain undated. Date estimates are based largely on women's attire in drawings and the assumption that they were drawn from life and not retrospectively. Each group of sketchbooks is arranged by size, from small to large.

Loose sketches are found in a variety of media including pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, and watercolor, and are generally unsigned and undated. Subjects are similar to those found in sketchbooks, although loose sketches are found on a variety of supports including wood board, carbon paper, and canvas. Most sketches on paper are arranged by broad subject categories, listed in the folder listing. A 1928 sketch signed illegibly by an artist other than Beal is found with Figure sketches. Most of the sketches have been digitized, however, items too large or too fragile to be handled have not been scanned.

Sketches on supports other than paper are filed separately. Sketches on carbon paper seem to have been made as a preliminary process and re-used. Large pastel and ink sketches on board range from studies to finished drawings, including several genre scenes that may have been preliminary drawings for Beal's murals. Oil sketches on board range in size from approximately 3x5 to 11x17 inches and include landscapes, marine subjects, still lifes and figures. Unlike other loose sketches, almost all of the oil sketches on wood board are signed or initialed, and one is dated 1914. Pastel drawings on canvas may have been preliminary drawings, or cartoons, for murals. All depict dancing figures in a romantic style, and one canvas is signed by Beal.

Additional sketches are found in the Print Materials series, and scattered illustrated letters are found in Correspondence.

Most of the prints are the work of artists other than Beal and are signed. Original prints are found by Arthur B. Davies, Rockwell Kent, Muirhead Bone, and Denys Wortman. Among the unsigned prints, two appear to be antique, and one is a cancellation proof which may have been made by Beal.